Tarp fastener



United States Patent C Igan Filed May 22, 1968, Ser. No. 731,031 Int. Cl. B601: 7/04 U.S. Cl. 296-100 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elongated element of resiliently flexible material and a pair of hooks adapted for attachment at one of a plurality of locations spaced along said strap for securing a tarp on a truck.

Background of the invention This invention relates to an adjustable hold-down device including an elongated and elastic element engaged by hooks for holding a tarp or other cover on a truck box.

Portable, flexible covers such as tarpaulins and plastic sheets have been in common use for many years to protect goods stored in truck boxes, piles of construction materials and stacks of baled hay from adverse weather conditions. In the past, such coverings have been held in place by devices such as ropes, canvas straps with buckles or elastic bands of specific lengths. However, lthese devices have not proven completely satisfactory. For example, it is difhcult as well as time consuming to attach and/or release ropes and straps, particularly if the rope or strap has become wet or stiff, as they easily can.

Even though the cover is adequately held at first by ropes or straps, the force of the wind and the bouncing of the vehicle during use often loosen or stretch the ropes and straps to such an extent that the cover is no longer properly held tightly in place. Thus, the cover may be lost or damaged. Furthermore, the loose cover can no longer provide the desired protection during rainy weather. For example, grain being hauled across country may be damaged or blown from the truck before the driver is aware that the cover is not in its proper position.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a hold-down device that can be rapidly and simply secured and yet will securely hold a cover in place particularly during adverse conditions of usage.

A further object of this invention is to provide a holddown device, as aforesaid, that is adjustable in length and elastic so that it will not become loosened by wind or bouncing of the vehicle on which it is used.

Other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent to persons familiar with equipment of this general type upon reading the following specication and inspecting the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows several of the devices of the present invention holding a cover on a truck box.

FIGURE 2 shows a broken side view of the device of the invention.

FIGURE 3 shows a top view of the device as seen from the cutting line III-III in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 shows a top view of the device as seen from the cutting line IV-IV in FIGURE 2.

For convenience in description, the words up and down will have reference to directions in FIGURE l. The words in and out will refere to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the device and designated parts thereof. Such terminology will include the words above specically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import,

3,494,658 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 Summary of the invention The objects and purposes of the invention, including those set forth above, have been met by providing an elongated, elastic element having a plurality of openings, pref erably near the opposite ends thereof, and a pair of hook means receivable through said openings and engageable between a cover or sheet means and a truck box or the like.

Detailed description The hold-down device 10 of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURE l holding down a cover 11 over a box, such as the type found on a trailer or truck, The cover 11 may be of any conventional type such as canvas or plastic.

While specific reference is made herein to a cover for a truck box, it will be recognized that the hold-down device of the invention can be adapted to many other related uses. For example, the device 10 can be used in combination with a canvas cover holding suitcases and other objects on car tops or luggage racks, or holding down automobile trunk lids when large items are being carried therein, or fastening covers, such as tarpaulin or plastic, over stationary objects such as stacks of baled hay and construction materials.

The hold-down device 10 is comprised of an elongated, elastic member or strap 13 having a plurality of enlarged portions 16, 17, 18 and 19, which are preferably located in pairs near the opposite ends. The strap 13 may be made by molding any suitable resilient and flexible material, such as synthetic rubber. The enlarged portions 16-19 may be molded integrally with the remainder of the strap 13. Integral anges 21 and 22 may be provided adjacent each of the portions 16-19 for the purpose of strengthening the connection thereof to the strap. The enlarged portions 16, 17, 18 and 19 have openings 23, 24, 26 and 27, respectively, through which one of the S-shaped hooks 28 and 29 may be extended. Although the hold-down device 10 is shown as having four enlarged portions, the strap 13 may be provided with different numbers of enlarged portions, as indicated by the hold-down device 31 (FIGURE l) which has three enlarged portions.

The hooks 28 and 29, which may be constructed of metal rod, have inner hook portions 32 and 33 and outer hook portions 36 and 37, respectively. The hook portions 32 and 33 may be inserted into the openings 23 and 27, respectively, in the outermost enlarged portions 16 and 19 when the situation requires a long hold-down device 10. On the other hand, if the situation requires a relatively short hold-down device, such as shown at 38, the hook portions 32 and 33 may be inserted into the openings 24 and 26, respectively, in the innermost enlarged portions 17 and 18. If a holddown device of intermediate size is desired, hook portion 32 may be inserted in the opening 24 of inner enlarged portion 17 and the hook portion 32 is engaged with the outer enlarged portion 19. The present invention thus provides a hold-down device that may be easily and quickly changed from one size to another. Furthermore, since the strap 13 is made of resilient material, the device can be stretched to lit various intermediate sizes.

If during substantial use one enlarged portion becomes broken, the hooks 28 or 29 may still be secured to one of the remaining enlarged portions and thus provide a useable hold-down device.

The hold-down device 10 is adapted for rapid attachment to the cover 11 such as by inserting the outer hook portion 36 of hook 28 through a grommet 39 and attaching the portion 37 of hook 29 to box 12 such as by engagement with a side member 41 or insertion into an I- 3 bolt (not shown). The hold-down device can be similarly attached in other circumstances of use.

The truck boxes on some trucks are equipped with horizontal rails 45 (FIGURE 1) to which tie-down ropes can be connected. In such case, the hold-down device 10 can be looped, one or more times, around the rail 45 to shorten its length and the lower hook 29 is inserted through the opening in the enlarged portion 17 located near the upper hook 28. Then, if the upper hook 28 does become disengaged from the cover 11, the device 10` will remain on the rail 45, rather than dropping off. The device 10 can also be looped around other elements on a truck box for the same reasons.

lIt follows from the foregoing that the device 10 can remain in its looped condition of attachment to the rail 45 when the device is not in use. Thus, the device 10 is immediately available for use.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In combination, a device for resiliently and adjustably holding one object with respect to another object, said one object comprising a box-like body and the other object comprising a sheet material having a plurality of openingstherethrough, said device being interconnected to said box-like body and said sheet material, and said device comprising: l

an elongated, at and resiliently flexible element having a pair of flat surfaces and at least four enlarged portions, two thereof being located near each end of said element;

means defining an opening through each of said enlarged portions and extending transversely of said flat surfaces;

each of said enlarged portions projecting away from said flat surfaces of said element and having integral flange means converging from the projection toward said flat surfaces; and

a pair of S-shaped hook means having first hooks adapted for insertion through a pair of said openings formed in said enlarged portions and second hooks adapted for engaging said objects, at least one of said second hooks being inserted through one of the openings formed in said sheet material.

2. A hold-down device according to claim 1, wherein the first hook on each hook means is slightly smaller than the second hook and is adjustable with respect to the enlarged portion which it is adapted to engage; and wherein the hook located at one end of said element is adapted for insertion ythrough the opening in the enlarged portion near to and spaced from the hook at the other end of said element.

3. A hold-down device, particularly adapted for resiliently and adjustably holding one object with respect to another object, comprising:

an elongated, flat and flexible element constructed of a resilient rubber-like material, said element including a thin elongated portion having a pair of substantially flat surfaces and at least three integrally formed enlarged portions disposed near the ends thereof, a first one of said enlarged portions being disposed adjacentone end of said elongated portion, a second one of said enlarged portions being disposed adjacent the other end of said elongated portion, and a third one of said enlarged portions being spaced from and positioned between said first and second enlarged portions, said third enlarged portion being positioned substantially closer to said first enlarged portion than to said second enlarged portion whereby the spacing between said first and third enlarged portions is substantially less than the spacing between said second and third enlarged portions, and each of said enlarged portions having an opening extending therethrough, said elongated portion including a first elongated part integrally interconnecting said first and third enlarged portions and a second uniform and continuous elongated part aligned with said first elongated part and integrally interconnecting said second and third enlarged portions, said second elongated part having a length substantially greater than the length of said first elongated part; and

a pair of hook means each having a first hook portion inserted through one of said openings and each hook means having a second hook portion adapted to engage said objects.

4. A hold-down device according to claim 3, wherein said first and second elongated parts each comprising a thin fiat member having a width substantially greater than its thickness; and each of said enlarged portions having a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of said first and second elongated parts.

5. A hold-down device according to claim 3, wherein each of said enlarged portions is of a substantially cylindrical configuration and said openings extend centrally and axially therethrough;

wherein each of said enlarged portions has a part which projects outwardly away from at least one of said flat surfaces and including integral flange means interconnecting the projecting part of said enlarged portions and said one flat surface; and

wherein at least one of said hook means is of an S- shaped configuration.

6. A hold-down device according to claim 3, wherein said elongated element includes a fourth enlarged portion integrally formed thereon, said fourth enlarged portion being spaced from and disposed between said second and third enlarged portions with the distance between said second and fourth enlarged portions being substantially less than the distance between said third and fourth enlarged portions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,372,967 4/ 1945 Martin 248-361 2,545,320 3/1951 Tilson 248-361 2,581,985 l/1952 Tuerk 296- 2,787,476 4/ 1957 Holsclaw 280-179 LEO FRIAGIQIA, Primary Examiner AROBERT R.,SONG, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 248-3 61 

